50 Great Books for Kindergarten

Part of the fun of teaching kindergarten is introducing eager students to a collection of fantastic books. The best kindergarten books include engaging illustrations, relatable characters and challenges, or curriculum-boosting concepts.

An experienced teacher can hush a whole room of children just by opening the pages of a favorite book. With a dramatic pause here, a character voice there, and a sound effect thrown in, she can transport children to new worlds. Her words and the beautiful illustrations that make books so memorable can make kids curl up with giggles or gasp in shock as they follow along on a journey of discovery.

Here are fifty of our favorite kindergarten books, old and new.

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Classic and Concept Books

Treasured titles that have stood the test of time, alphabet books, and counting books will always have a place on kindergarten shelves.

This story about a father too busy to spend time with his lonely daughter feels all too modern. Hannah loves gorillas and ends up having an adventure with one in this story about friendship and family.

We love sharing Audrey and Bruce Wood’s alphabet books that teach letter recognition, sounds, and concepts about print. In this title, little i loses its dot, prompting the letters to launch an all-out search.

The beauty of this wordless book is that every kid in your classroom will be able to tell and retell the story. The concept is timeless and fascinating. When children discover a box of chalk and draw pictures that come to life on the playground, things get a little out of control, until the rain brings it all back to normal.

Combine kindergarten children’s love for nursery rhymes and hide and seek by having them find hidden characters in the pages of this beautifully illustrated collection. Encourage collaboration by putting children in pairs or small groups and having them work together to find characters.

This story, from the author of The Gruffalo, has children wondering just what sort of animal could scare a rabbit, a cat, an elephant, and a bear. The Giant Jumperee will keep your whole class guessing.

This story, which takes children through a body awareness meditation, may seem like an ideal bedtime book—and it is. But it’s also great for using with children who need to calm down and to lead children through simple yoga exercises during brain breaks.

This silly story follows a giant on a futile search for his missing pants. The focus on keeping track of your belongings—and the presence of polka-dotted underwear—makes this a great kindergarten read-aloud.

A girl takes a risk and says “hi” to her new neighbor. The pair end up working together to construct a treehouse and build a friendship in the process. This is a poignant, almost wordless book about the power of the simple act of reaching out.

Just change the title to “I Want That One Particular Yellow Marker,” and you’ve got a scene from a kindergarten classroom. This story is a perfect addition to your arsenal of read-aloud books about sharing.

The characters from the rollicking Rex Wrecks It are back, along with a new friend, Boo. Boo feels invisible—because, well, he is—until the pals stumble upon a game where he can excel. This story is a wonderful way for students to learn about the importance of including others.

Informational Books

Birthdays are pretty important when you’ve only had five or six of them. This collection of global traditions will have children counting down to their own big days and also teach them that not all cultures celebrate birthdays.

Did you know that ten ants weigh the same as one ladybug? Introduce students to weight by comparison with this interesting counting book. This title is perfect to share before exploring balance scales.

Explore this foundational concept with a book that encourages critical thinking. The engaging photographs and embedded questions help students decide if something is “probably a living thing,” leaving room for a realistic dose of scientific uncertainty.

The Amazing Scientists series is one to watch. This rhyming biography manages to present complex information in an accessible way. Use it to discuss gender equality or as an interesting extension to a unit on the five senses.

Early Readers, Chapter Books, and Poetry

Mass-market trade books at a kindergarten reading level can be hit or miss, so a series from phonics authority Wiley Blevins and star illustrator Ben Clanton is a find. One short sentence per page describes Max’s preparations for the hatching of a mystery egg.

If we can’t have more Elephant and Piggie, at least we can enjoy the Elephant & Piggie Like Reading series. This title, about a girl who gets creative with her footwear, is full of signature speech bubbles and has a robust collection of puns to boot. (See what we did there?)

Dav Pilkey may have moved onto other series, but we’ll always love the bumbling blue hero of the Dragon’s Tales books. They are great for the advanced kindergarten reader or as read-aloud books that offer opportunities for making inferences based on the pictures.

These poems are not only fun tongue twisters but also offer a great chance for kindergartners to explore manipulating initial sounds. And, of course, you get the laughs you’ve come to expect from this legendary poet.